The best “On the Go” Christmas Decor ever: Needle Free Christmas Tree This printed cotton canvas tree measures 37”x67” and can be easily hung on the wall. It can be left plain or decorated, either by pinning ornaments to it or painting directly on to the canvas. It comes packaged in it’s own cardboard tube which makes it easy to store every year.

Available on MicheleVarian.com and at my store: Michele Varian, 27 Howard St, Soho, NYC.

or call t. 212-343-0033.

This is a close-up of the nativity scene. It looks like they paid a visit to Confetti Systems. This is pretty much what the celebratory procession looked like with costumes, color and sparkle, but against the blackness of night and drums.

Look closely. This is a nativity scene outside of a “truck stop”. This was on a major, but very new road that cut through what had until recently been jungle and country side. It was dark before we arrived at our hotel and had to stop to wait for a parade of Christmas revelers to go by. You wouldn’t have recognized it as a Christmas celebration, except for the no less than 3 masked and costumed Santa Clauses dancing lunatically in the center of the equally enthusiastic procession. There were drums beating wildly, horns and swirling garlands. You would have thunk they were drunk off their asses, but they generally don’t drink in these areas.

India in Christmas. I know I’m catching up with everyone in post-Xmas mode, but bear with me. This Santa was on a tiny tree in our hotel room in “THE BEST HOTEL IN INDIA!?”. He can’t even nearly represent to you the craziness of Xmas in India. As our guide said, “It’s just another God”. I liked how indiscriminate the people were. All Gods deserve a good party. At the first hotel we stayed in there was an ENORMOUS Ginger Bread House that one could walk through to get to the dining room. This was in the most sophisticated town we were in. Things got rowdier and more surreal, the further south we went.

I spent Christmas in India, so this is something I didn’t have to face this year. don’t be fooled. This photo is probably from March or February of last year when our Christmas tree was finally denuded. Every year I leave the tree decorated as long as possible and then see which of my friends or my husband can stand it no longer. In 25 years, I think I’ve only put the ornaments away once or twice.

I promise, it isn’t pure laziness. I like laying under the ornaments and lights for as long as possible.

I also come by the habit genetically. I think my Dad said he went to my mother’s apartment for the first time, and that there was what was left of a Christmas tree in a pile of green needles - in May!

There are many things to love about Detroit. I wish I were going to be there for Christmas, which is also my birthday.  And my sisters’ birthdays too. Triplets.

barebonesdetroit:

Twelve Days of Christmas in Detroit:

A series on some of the best things to do and see around the holidays.

Day 1: The Frank J. Hecker house. We recently moved into the city limits and are really excited to devote more time to photographing happenings in the city. This house means a lot to us so we decided to start it with this building.